Chapter 35: Return to Weiyuan Fort

At night, she sat in the room eating peaches while reading a book.

She wished the day could be longer, but unfortunately, time did not stop for her prayers.

After eating, she straightened the chair, washed up briefly, took off her feathered outer coat, and rested.

She turned off the light and went to sleep.

After a long while, her small brows furrowed. She dreamed of something bad.

She remembered that day again.

It was as if that blood-red phantom had grabbed her head again.

But for some reason, the phantom gradually became peaceful, no longer terrifying.

The hand gripping her head also slowly relaxed, no longer fierce.

She woke with a start, sitting up in bed and looking around.

It was early morning, not yet dawn.

This was an inn, not that ice-cold place.

Still shaken, she scanned the room a second time and noticed that the window was left open.

She got up to close the window, straightened the tilted chair that was in the way, then lay back down to sleep.

This time, she didn’t have any more nightmares and slept until morning.

She stretched, feeling like her body had melted from sleep.

She washed up simply, tidied her appearance, and dressed neatly.

When she opened her storage space, she found that the fruits had automatically refilled again, almost overflowing, squeezing the axe to the edge.

This ring was too amazing. She had no idea how it could create things out of thin air.

She ate without ceremony, treating them as breakfast. Suddenly she noticed that there were also several plump big peaches at the top of the storage space. What a coincidence. After thinking for a moment, she took them and ate them anyway.

After that, she left the inn and set out on the road.

Since she wasn’t in a hurry, she took the land route this time, walking most of the way, occasionally hitching rides with villagers or merchants, heading toward the upper right corner of the Ming territory, that is, going back.

She didn’t pass through Tianjin but instead went through Xincheng and Yongqing, then reached Dong’an, followed by Wuqing.

This area was very prosperous because it was close to the capital.

If she continued north for a few more days, she would reach the legendary Ming capital, but she didn’t go there.

Along the way, she heard countless people mention the capital. The people of Ming were full of longing for it, which also stirred the young girl’s curiosity, but she still restrained herself and didn’t take a detour to the capital.

From Wuqing, she headed east, taking many days to reach Tangshan.

This was her second time at this place.

She remembered the caravan leader once said that Tangshan was a very special place for merchants.

Going west led to the capital, south to Jiangnan, and east to Liaodong. It was an excellent transit point.

The young girl didn’t have much trouble finding a caravan heading to Liaodong. As soon as she spoke, the caravan couldn’t refuse and took her along to Liaodong.

Summer was hot, making it a good time to go to Liaodong, as the weather wasn’t as extreme as in winter.

Therefore, many merchants were heading to Liaodong this season.

Departing from Tangshan, they traveled east unimpeded, taking many days to reach Shanhai Pass, where they left the pass again.

The guards at Shanhai Pass recognized her. She had become legendary among the soldiers, and the soldiers in this area were very familiar with her.

The new recruits were fortunate to see her once, and indeed she was as beautiful as a celestial being. Just one look could brighten their mood for the whole day.

The soldiers kindly advised her that things were unstable outside the pass. It was best not to go out unless necessary. If she had to go, she should stay close to the coast, as the coastal area was under Ming control and relatively safe.

The young girl nodded in thanks.

The merchants were stunned by this. They had dealt with these soldiers for years, when had they ever seen the gate guards so friendly?

They were probably benefiting from the girl’s good fortune.

After leaving Shanhai Pass, everyone had essentially left the Beizhili region and entered Liaodong territory.

In August, Liaodong was a bit hot. During the day, merchants rolled up their sleeves and tried to avoid the sun on the road.

In mid-August, the young girl parted ways with this caravan. Half of the merchants headed north, while a few continued northeast, still going the same way for a while.

In late August, the young girl separated from everyone else. They had heard that the northeast was not very peaceful, with rumors of demons and ghosts and some tension from warfare.

Reaching this point was their limit. They didn’t plan to go any further.

The young girl had to walk for half a day, but fortunately, she met other merchants. There were always some merchants willing to risk it for money.

They were heading to Weiyuan Fort to do business, where they could buy furs at half the price here.

Since they were already outside the pass, why not go farther and make a big profit? Wouldn’t it be a waste to not earn more?

The young girl didn’t know their thoughts. She was just hitching a ride and didn’t intend to learn more.

In early September, she was almost at her destination. She returned to the fork in the road where she had met the caravan leader.

At some point, a small shed had been set up, and a soldier was stationed there.

The merchants were stopped, not forcibly, but to be informed of something.

“There are demons and monsters causing trouble over there. It’s not recommended for Ming citizens to approach,” the soldier warned of the danger.

The merchants had heard about this and came with determination, not on a whim.

After a few more exchanges with the soldier, they voluntarily assumed the risk and then passed through.

Watching their backs, the soldier seemed thoughtful but finally sent someone to the border to report what had happened.

It was suspected that a cultivator had passed by, heading to Weiyuan Fort.

There was no snow on the road, so the carriage was fast, arriving at the Weiyuan Fort post station in the evening.

First, they saw the outer wall of Weiyuan Fort, and then a horse lying against the wall to rest, which looked very familiar.

As she got closer, the young girl confirmed that the horse belonged to the middle-aged man she had met at the beginning of her journey.

It wasn’t tied by a rein and could leave anytime, yet it was still lying against the wall to rest.

It looked thin, its coat had lost its luster, and it was somewhat dirty.

The soldiers at Weiyuan Fort also saw the young girl and greeted her from a distance, very excited.

They hadn’t expected her to really come back.

The merchants traveling with her didn’t understand the situation, probably not expecting her to be so popular that the soldiers and the post station master came out to welcome her.

The innkeeper of Fulu Inn also stood at the entrance to welcome her and even offered free accommodation to the traveling merchants.

The room she had stayed in last time was still there. After she left, the innkeeper had sealed it off and let no one else stay.

Now that she had returned, the innkeeper gave her that room again.

After checking in, the young girl didn’t go upstairs.

She pointed to a direction outside the wall, looking puzzled.

The innkeeper knew what she meant. “You mean that horse?”

The young girl nodded.

The innkeeper explained, “Ever since that merchant died, his horse has never left. It wanders around nearby every day, still waiting for him. The horse doesn’t know its owner is gone. It’s been half a year now.”

Speaking of this, the innkeeper couldn’t help but sigh.

Then the innkeeper went on to tell her about the situation over the past half year.

After the middle-aged man died, the trade route had deteriorated, and several more murders had occurred.

Some were merchants, some locals.

All died in the same way, committed by the same evil entity.

The post station master had reported the matter to the border, and some soldiers were sent to investigate and patrol, but they still couldn’t solve the problem.

Taoist priests and Buddhist monks were also called to perform rituals, but still no success.

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